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| 1 | ++++ |
| 2 | +title = "Changes Announced on June 27, 2025" |
| 3 | +linkTitle = "June 27, 2025" |
| 4 | +toc_hide = "true" |
| 5 | +description = "Changes announced for Protocol Buffers on June 27, 2025." |
| 6 | +type = "docs" |
| 7 | ++++ |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +## Edition 2024 |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +We are planning to release Protobuf Editions in 32.x in Q3 2025. |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +These describe changes as we anticipate them being implemented, but due to the |
| 14 | +flexible nature of software some of these changes may not land or may vary from |
| 15 | +how they are described in this topic. |
| 16 | + |
| 17 | +More documentation on Edition 2024 will be published in |
| 18 | +[Feature Settings for Editions](/editions/features), |
| 19 | +including information on migrating from Edition 2023. |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +## Changes to Existing Features {#changes} |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +This section details any existing features whose default settings will change in |
| 24 | +Edition 2024. |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +### C++ string_type {#string_type} |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +The default for `string_type` feature, originally released in Edition 2023, will |
| 29 | +change from `STRING` to `VIEW` in Edition 2024. |
| 30 | + |
| 31 | +See |
| 32 | +[`features.(pb.cpp).string_type`](/editions/features#string_type) |
| 33 | +and [String View APIs](/reference/cpp/string-view) for |
| 34 | +more information on this feature and its feature values. |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +## New Features {#new-features} |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +This section details any new features that will be introduced in Edition 2024. |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | +### `enforce_naming_style` {#enforce_naming} |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +[`feature.enforce_naming_style`](/editions/features#enforce_naming) |
| 43 | +enables strict naming style enforcement to ensure protos are round-trippable by |
| 44 | +default with a feature value to opt-out to use legacy naming style. |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +### `default_symbol_visibility` {#default_symbol} |
| 47 | + |
| 48 | +This feature controls whether the default symbol visibility of importable |
| 49 | +symbols (such as messages and enums) is either: |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +* `export`: referenceable from other protos via import statements |
| 52 | +* `local`: un-referenceable outside of current file |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +The default feature value `EXPORT_TOP_LEVEL` in Edition 2024 ensures top-level |
| 55 | +symbols are export by default, whereas nested symbols are local by default. |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +This can be used along with the [`export` and `local` keywords](#export-local) |
| 58 | +to explicitly annotate symbol visibility, also added in Edition 2024. |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +Symbol visibility only controls which symbols can be imported from other proto |
| 61 | +files, but does not affect code-generation. |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +### C++: `enum_name_uses_string_view` {#enum_name} |
| 64 | + |
| 65 | +Previously, all generated enum types provide the following function to obtain |
| 66 | +the label out of an enum value, which has significant overhead to construct the |
| 67 | +`std::string` instances at runtime: |
| 68 | + |
| 69 | +```cpp |
| 70 | +const std::string& Foo_Name(int); |
| 71 | +``` |
| 72 | +
|
| 73 | +The default feature value in Edition 2024 instead migrates this signature to |
| 74 | +return `absl::string_view` to allow for better storage decoupling and potential |
| 75 | +memory/CPU savings. |
| 76 | +
|
| 77 | +```cpp |
| 78 | +absl::string_view Foo_Name(int); |
| 79 | +``` |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +Users should migrate their code to handle the new return-type following |
| 82 | +[the migration guide](/support/migration#string_view-return-type). |
| 83 | + |
| 84 | +See [String View APIs](/reference/cpp/string-view) for |
| 85 | +more information. |
| 86 | + |
| 87 | +### Java: `nest_in_file_class` {#nest_in} |
| 88 | + |
| 89 | +This feature controls whether the Java generator will nest the generated class |
| 90 | +in the Java generated file class. |
| 91 | + |
| 92 | +The default value in Edition 2024 generates classes in their own files by |
| 93 | +default, which is also the default behavior of the previous |
| 94 | +`java_multiple_files = true` file option. This replaces `java_multiple_files` |
| 95 | +which is removed in Edition 2024. |
| 96 | + |
| 97 | +The default outer classname is also updated to always be the camel-cased |
| 98 | +`.proto` filename suffixed with Proto by default (for example, |
| 99 | +`foo/bar_baz.proto -> BarBazProto`). You can override this using the |
| 100 | +`java_outer_classname` file option and replace the pre-Edition 2024 default of |
| 101 | +`BarBaz` or `BarBazOuterClass` depending on the presence of conflicts. |
| 102 | + |
| 103 | +### Java: `large_enum` {#large_enum} |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +This feature allows creation of large Java enums, extending beyond the enum |
| 106 | +limit due to standard constant limits imposed by the Java language. |
| 107 | + |
| 108 | +Creation of large enums is not enabled by default, but you can explicitly enable |
| 109 | +it using this feature. Note that this feature replicates enum-like behavior but |
| 110 | +has some notable differences (for example, switch statements are not supported). |
| 111 | + |
| 112 | +## Grammar Changes {#grammar-changes} |
| 113 | + |
| 114 | +### `import option` {#import-option} |
| 115 | + |
| 116 | +Edition 2024 adds support for option imports using the syntax `import option`. |
| 117 | + |
| 118 | +Unlike normal `import` statements, option imports import only custom options |
| 119 | +defined in a `.proto` file, without importing other symbols. |
| 120 | + |
| 121 | +This means that messages and enums are excluded from the option import. In the |
| 122 | +following example, the `Bar` message cannot be used as a field type in |
| 123 | +`foo.proto`, but options with type `Bar` can still be set. |
| 124 | + |
| 125 | +Option imports must also come after any other import statements. |
| 126 | + |
| 127 | +Example: |
| 128 | + |
| 129 | +```proto |
| 130 | +// bar.proto |
| 131 | +edition = "2024"; |
| 132 | +
|
| 133 | +import "google/protobuf/descriptor.proto"; |
| 134 | +
|
| 135 | +message Bar { |
| 136 | + bool bar = 1; |
| 137 | +} |
| 138 | +
|
| 139 | +extend proto2.FileOptions { |
| 140 | + bool file_opt1 = 5000; |
| 141 | + Bar file_opt2 = 5001; |
| 142 | +} |
| 143 | +``` |
| 144 | + |
| 145 | +```proto |
| 146 | +// foo.proto: |
| 147 | +edition = "2024"; |
| 148 | +
|
| 149 | +import option "bar.proto"; |
| 150 | +
|
| 151 | +option (file_opt1) = true; |
| 152 | +option (file_opt2) = {bar: true}; |
| 153 | +
|
| 154 | +message Foo { |
| 155 | + // Bar bar = 1; // This is not allowed |
| 156 | +} |
| 157 | +``` |
| 158 | + |
| 159 | +Option imports do not require generated code for its symbols and thus must be |
| 160 | +provided as `option_deps` in `proto_library` instead of `deps`. This avoids |
| 161 | +generating unreachable code. |
| 162 | + |
| 163 | +```build |
| 164 | +proto_library( |
| 165 | + name = "foo", |
| 166 | + srcs = ["foo.proto"], |
| 167 | + option_deps = [":custom_option"] |
| 168 | +) |
| 169 | +``` |
| 170 | + |
| 171 | +Option imports and `option_deps` are strongly recommended when importing |
| 172 | +protobuf language features and other custom options to avoid generating |
| 173 | +unnecessary code. |
| 174 | + |
| 175 | +`option_deps` requires Bazel 8 or later since the `native.proto_library` in |
| 176 | +Bazel 7 does not support this. |
| 177 | + |
| 178 | +This also replaces `import weak`, which is removed in Edition 2024. |
| 179 | + |
| 180 | +### `export` / `local` Keywords {#export-local} |
| 181 | + |
| 182 | +`export` and `local` keywords are added in Edition 2024 as modifiers for the |
| 183 | +symbol visibility of importable symbols, from the default behavior specified by |
| 184 | +the |
| 185 | +[`default_symbol_visibility` feature](/editions/features#symbol-vis). |
| 186 | + |
| 187 | +This controls which symbols can be imported from other proto files, but does not |
| 188 | +affect code-generation. |
| 189 | + |
| 190 | +In Edition 2024, these can be set on all message and enum symbols by default. |
| 191 | +However, some values of the `default_symbol_visibility` feature further restrict |
| 192 | +which symbols are exportable. |
| 193 | + |
| 194 | +Example: |
| 195 | + |
| 196 | +```proto |
| 197 | +// Top-level symbols are exported by default in Edition 2024 |
| 198 | +local message LocalMessage { |
| 199 | + // Nested symbols are local by default in Edition 2024 |
| 200 | + export enum ExportedNestedEnum { |
| 201 | + UNKNOWN_EXPORTED_NESTED_ENUM_VALUE = 0; |
| 202 | + } |
| 203 | +} |
| 204 | +``` |
| 205 | + |
| 206 | +### "import weak" and `weak` Field Option {#import-weak} |
| 207 | + |
| 208 | +Weak imports are no longer allowed as of Edition 2024. |
| 209 | + |
| 210 | +Most users previously relying on `import weak` to declare a “weak dependency” to |
| 211 | +import custom options without generated code for C++ and Go should instead |
| 212 | +migrate to use |
| 213 | +[`import option`](/editions/overview#import-option) |
| 214 | +instead. |
| 215 | + |
| 216 | +### `ctype` Field Option {#ctype} |
| 217 | + |
| 218 | +`ctype` field option is no longer allowed as of Edition 2024. Use the |
| 219 | +[`features.(pb.cpp).string_type`](/editions/features#string_type) |
| 220 | +feature, instead. |
| 221 | + |
| 222 | +### `java_multiple_files` File Option {#java_multiple} |
| 223 | + |
| 224 | +The `java_multiple_files` file option is removed in Edition 2024 in favor of the |
| 225 | +new |
| 226 | +[`features.nest_in_file_class`](/editions/features#java-nest_in_file) |
| 227 | +Java feature. |
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